Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Connectivity Manual page 16

Playing audio from
alternative
games consoles
Games consoles provide a variety of audio output
connections, some of which require non-standard
cables, so you may need to contact the console
manufacturer or retailer for advice on the appropri-
ate one. Whoever provides the advice will need to
know that Zeppelin can be connected with either
an analogue mini jack or digital optical mini jack.
If your games console carries either analogue
mini jack (possibly a headphone output) or RCA
Phono (Cinch) analogue sockets, or a TOSLINK™
digital optical socket, you can connect it to the
Zeppelin AUX input using a standard cable. If an
optical digital output is fitted it may be labeled
either OPTICAL, S/PDIF or TOSLINK™.
You will need either a cable with a TOSLINK™
plug at one end and an optical mini jack at the
other, or a cable with a pair of RCA Phono plugs
at one end and a single stereo mini jack plug (like
your iPod headphone plug) at the other. We
would recommend you use the TOSLINK™
digital option. Zeppelin cannot however reproduce
Dolby Digital or DTS encoded material. If such
programme cannot be downmixed and output by
the games console in digital stereo PCM format, an
analogue connection to Zepelin must be used.
The games console optical output socket may
have a blanking plug fitted. This must be removed
before connecting the TOSLINK™ cable but should
be retained to protect the end of the optical fibre
should you disconnect the cable. Connect the
TOSLINK™ end of the cable to the games console
optical digital output and the optical mini jack to the
Zeppelin AUX input.
If you decide to use the games console analogue
audio output you will need either a cable with a pair
of RCA Phono plugs at one end and a single stereo
mini jack plug (like your iPod headphone plug) at
the other, or a cable with a stereo mini jack plugs
at each end. The RCA plugs should be coded to
identify left and right channels. This may be by the
letters L and R or colour coding, where the conven-
tion is that red identifies the right channel and white
identifies the left channel. Connect the RCA Phono
plugs to the games console left and right analogue
audio outputs and the stereo mini jack plug to the
Zeppelin AUX input. Otherwise connect one mini
jack into the games console output and the other
into the Zeppelin AUX input.
Unless you are using the games console's
headphone output to connect to Zeppelin, its audio
signal output will most likely be at a fixed volume.
In this case, volume is controlled by Zeppelin's
own volume controls. Alternatively, if the games
console's headphone output is used to connect to
Zeppelin start by setting its volume level at around
three-quarters and then play your loudest games.
Listen for clipping overload - a scratchy noise
during the loudest parts, even when Zeppelin's
own level is not very high - and reduce the games
console volume level until you don't hear it.
If the games console is simultaneously con-
nected to a TV by an HDMI connector it may be
necessary to switch off the TV audio when Zeppelin
is in use by selecting "mute" from the TV remote
handset.
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